The invention relates to a conveyor belt made of rubber or a plastic material similar to rubber, with embedded traction carriers in particular in the form of cables or cords which, in turn, particularly are made of steel, whereby the conveyor belt comprises with respect to its total width a center part and two side parts (DE-A-44 33 755; DE-A-44 36 042).
The center part of a conveyor belt is, in the normal case, stressed to a higher degree than the two side parts. Now, when the center part was worn or damaged, it was necessary heretofore, as a rule, to replace the entire conveyor belt, whereas it was possible to continue to use other parts of the conveyor installation.
Laid-open patent DE-B-1 148 81 describes a hose conveyor belt installation in connection with which it is possible, in a reversed way, to replace the longitudinal profiled stripsxe2x80x94which are susceptible to wearxe2x80x94by means of detachable pull-out elements, whereas the conveyor belt is used further.
Now, with the conveyor belt as defined by the invention and characterized in claim 1, it is possible to remove a worn or damaged center part of a conveyor belt and to replace said center part by a new one, using a joint. The two side parts, however, are used further without being replaced.
With respect to the joint between the center part and the two side parts of the conveyor belt, use is advantageously made of the following variations:
Variation I
The center part is mechanically joined with the two side parts, specifically on the basis of a plug-groove principle. The design variations that are useful in this regard are described as follows:
The plug-groove principle is realized in such a way that the groove and the corresponding plug part are aligned in the direction of the carrying (top) side or running (bottom) side of the conveyor belt. The groove and the corresponding plug part each have a substantial trapezoidal cross sectional shape, or said parts change into each other substantially in the form of a wave.
Reinforcing materials consisting of steel or synthetic materials are advantageously present within the zone of the joint. The reinforcement may be an angle-shaped part that extends in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt, such shaped part being usefully made from steel fabric. Another possibility is to realize the reinforcement in such a way that it consists of at least one cable or cord extending in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt.
The plug-groove principle is realized in such a way that the groove and the corresponding plug part are aligned in the direction of the center part or side parts, preferably in the direction of the center part. The groove and the corresponding plug part extend in this connection substantially in the form of a wedge, whereby the deepest point of the groove or the peak of the plug part are approximately located at the level of the center plane of the conveyor belt, said plane extending parallel with the carrying or running side of the conveyor belt.
Irrespective of the possibilities introduced above for realizing the joint, the effectiveness of the mechanical joint of the center part with the two side parts can be increased within the zone of the joint by means of cold gluing or hot vulcanization.
Variation II
The joint of the center part with the two side parts is produced by means of a groove, which is located within the zone of the joint and extends from the carrying and/or running side of the conveyor belt in the direction of the center plane of the conveyor belt, said center plane extending parallel with the carrying or running side, whereby the groove is filled with a compound that can be vulcanized. The groove advantageously extends substantially in the form of a wedge.
Entirely irrespective of the variations introduced above, the conveyor belt as defined by the invention is usefully characterized also by the following design possibilities:
The joint between the center part and the two side parts is designed in such a way that a smooth surface is produced in the site of the joint in relation to the carrying side and the running side of the conveyor belt.
The center part has a width amounting to 0.3 to 0.8 times the overall width of the conveyor belt.
The traction carriers are located either in the two side parts or in the center part. The traction carriers are advantageously arranged exclusively in the two side parts, whereas the center part, which is substantially free of traction carriers, has an embedded conveyor belt carrier that particularly consists of a fabric. The number of fabric layers of the conveyor belt amounts to between 1 and 6. Polyamide, polyester, synthetic silk (rayon), rayon, cotton, aramide or steel are used as materials for said fabric; however, a fabric consisting of a mixture of said materials can be employed as well.